Evaporating apparatus



May l19, 1925.

H.fs. MELLOTT l EvAPoHATI-NG APPARATUS Filed April 19, 1915 2Sheets'-Sheet 1 H. s. MELLOTT vAPoRAIING APPARATUS4 1915 2. Sheets-Sheet2 Filed April 19 Patented May 19, 1925.

UNiT'EDsTATsS i 1,538,2.viy

PATENT OFFICE.l

HOWARD s. MnLLofrfr, or Monnivci, MICHIGAN, Assieivon To BY-rno-Duo'rsan! COVER/Y COMPANY, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION O13' OHIO.

nvnronzi'rrive nrreaarcs.

Applicaton` filed April 19, 1915. Serial No. 22,510.

To all whom t may crm-cern.'

Be it known that I, Hoivnnn S. MsLLo'r'i, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residingY at Morenci, in .the county 'of 'Lenawee and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEvaporating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improved' apparatus for treating substancesto change the consistency' thereof, and while of a char-A acter designedfor use in the treatn'ient of substances generally, is designed moreespecially for the evaporation oi' condensing of milk, milk products,and similar material or substances. c Y

The invention has more particular reference to an apparatus invented byCharles R. Mabee, wherein is employed a cylindrical container havingtherewithin means for applying a layer of the substance to be treated tothe surface of the container, and subjecting said layer of material,while in contact with said surface, to a rapid Vadvancing movement overthe surface, whereby there is maintained, within the layer of material,or substance, a central quiet Zone for the escape of gases and vapors,means being provided for subjecting the treatingsurface to ateniperature different from that of the material or substance undertreatment.

A mechanism embodyingthe invention of the said Charles R. Mabee, ofthesort last above referred to, is shown and described in his application,Serial No.V 40,757, tiled July 19, 1915. Y y

In an apparatus of the character under considerationv it has beenascertained that shouldv portions of the substance'adhere to thesurface, the uniform rapid movement of the layer of substance over thesurface would be thereby impeded, and the accumulationof particles ofthe substance ormaterial on the treating surfacer willV tendto removecertainportions of the layer from direct contact with the surface,thereby re- .tarding the transmission ofheatfrom the surface tothe bodyof material.

Therefore it is desirablerto remove any adhering particlesfoftliematerial or substance fromV the treating surface, without stopping theoperation of the machine, and

it is one* of the primary objects of the present invention toincorporatevin an apparatus of the character under consideration, novelmeans for continuously cleansing the Surface of adhering particles ofthe sub stance, said means,' however, permitting the body of the layerof material or substance to havel continuous uninterrupted movementover, and while in uniform contact with, the surface. y c lThepresentinventionis to be distinguished fr om those wherein means are em-1 ployed to pick up and throw the material or substance onto the heatedsurface, and to immediately, thereafter, scrape the materialfromsaidsurface and allow it. to recede, to be again picked up, when theforegoing operation will be repeated. Nor isfthe present invitation tobe confused with that type of apparatus wherein the material issubjected to a stirring operation.

The present invention may be said to include an apparatus having novelmeans for applying a layer of material or substance by force to asubstantially cylindrical container, having'a temperature different fromthat of the material or substance; subjecting said layer of material orsubstance, while Vin contact with the treating surface, tovrapidcontinuous movement tlicreover, and removing adhering particles from thesurface dur ing such continuous movement thereof, and

.without impeding said movement. 1

` It is also contemplated by the present invention to provide a novelconstruction and arrangementof-conveyor members, which likewiseconstitute means for cleansing and polishing the treating surface of thecontainer. l f y It is also comprehended, by the invention, to providemeans whereby the conveyor members'are yieldably supported vin a normalposition adjacent oiin contact with th inner surface vof the container.f

Another feature of the invention' resides inV a novel arrangement ofconveyor members, which preferably exten-d longitudinally of theconveyor, and at ak slight inclination, thereby assisting inthe rapidcontinuous longitudinal travel of the mate rial towards the outlet` endof the container. y

Still another feature of the inventigonjiiiA (itl cludes novel meanswhereby the combined conveyor and brush members may be readily detachedfor cleansing purposes, replacement, etc., and wit-hout displacing' anyother of the said sections.

Again, the invention embodies means whereby the normally yieldablysupported conveyor members may be rigidly supported in adjustedpositions, as desired.

Still further improvements and novel details in the construction andarrangement of the various parts will be appreciated .from thedescription to follow, which, for a clear understandingof the invention,is to be considered in connection with the accompanying' drawings, whichform a hereof` and wherein is disclosed, for tu, purpose ofillustration, a convenient ant. satisfactory embodiment of theinvention.

In the drawings Figure l is an elevation, partly in seetion, of anapparat-us for the described purpose;

Figure 2 is a transverse section, and

Figures 3 and l are detail views of the conveyor and cleansingmechanism.

lVith more particular reference to the drawings, wherein like referencenumerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, l isa container preferably cylindrical in form, and having,` a surrounding'jacket 2, whereby to form a chamber l, entirely surrounding' thecontainer l, and

dapted for the reception of steam or the like, whereby to impart to thesurface of the container, a temperature different from that of thematerial or substance to be treated. The container is preferablystationary, being supported in place, in any desired manner, as by feet.or standards el.

ln that forni of apparatus illustrated in the drawings, the cylindricalcontainer has penings 5" and (3, respectively, in its ends and G, but itis to be understood that one or both of the ends may be open or closedin the treatment of certain substances. A suitable collar 5l and Gb,respective y, projects inwardly from the end walls 5 and 6, whereby toprevent any of the material running' over the edges of the wallsurrounding` the openings 5 and Gn.

Positioned within the cylindrical container is novel means for engagingthe substance to be treated and applying the same, under centrifugalforce, to the interior surface of the container, in the forni of a iilnior layer, and for imparting movement to saidlayer over said surface. Inthe preferred embodiment of the invention this same means is preferablyutilized for the continuous cleansing' of the interior surface of thecontainer, and removing' any particles thereof which might tend toadhere to the surface.

A. shaft 7 is provided, the same extend- .ine` horirfzontally andsubstantially centr; liv within the container. 'fue container maydesired, be arranged at a slight eownwa l inclination towards the outletciu. thereof.

The shaft 7 has suitable bearings i at tae end walls of the container,one end 8 of the shaft projecting beyond the adjacent ond wall andhaving mounted thereon a suitable pulley 9. rEhe pulley O is lined tothe shaft whereby the shaft is moved and means, as a belt l0, driven inany desired manner. by mechanism not shown, is adapted to rotate thepulley and shaft a' a liie'h rate of speed, say from Q00 to 50orevolutions per minute.

Fixed to the shaft, for movement therewith, are supporting webs ll,there conA veniently beinetwo of said webs`v one adjacent each end ofthe .sh-af One or more intermediate supports may be provided as desired.Projecting between the webs li. and secured to the periphery thereof. inany desired manner, are supporting bars l2. rFliese bars l2 convenientlyhave offset terminals l2 secure( by bolts or rivets lh to peripheralflanges Il on the webs 1l. Any number of such bars may be einployed,three being' illustrated and arranged substantially equi-distant apartabout the periphery of the webs l1.

Supported on the bars l2 are brackets lf3, upon which are adjustablymount-ed supports lli, which latter preferably take an inverted U-shapedformation, The connection between the supports l-l and bra-:.1- cts 13is preferably a movable one, the support being; provided with avertically extending;l slotted way 13, and the side arms of the supportla having projecting the*L from a pin 1G loosely engaging in saidslotted way. A nut 1T is provided, the saine having; threaded engagementwith the pin and adapted to be adjusted into a position to prevent anunnecessary lateral play while permitting,` of relative sliding;morement between the members 1S and 14:.

While it will be appreciated that by rea son ot' the loose support forthe convejfor members the saine in the rota-ry movement of the shaft i'will be forced outwardly by centrifugal force into contact with thesurface of the container, means are provided, however, for yieldablysupporting the conveyor' members and to maintain the same normallyadjacent to, or in oontact. with, the surface, and with this in viewsuitable spiral springs 18 are employed, the same being` sleeved uponpins if), projecting' between the offset thnees 141) of the side arms ofthe support l-l and lthe horizontal bar 12. rlhe tendency of the springsis to exert outward pressure on the support la?. and cause the conveyormembers to assume a position adjacent to or in contact with the surfaceof the container.

lio

mesetaV The conveyor' members preferably take the forni of brushes 15,the same acting, when in Contact with the surface of the container, toremove adhering particles of the substance from they surface ofthecontainer. llhile these conveyor and cleansing brushes may extendfrom end to end of the horizontal bars 12, satisfactory results areobained by forming the same in relatively short sections, and in so'positioning each section on the bars 12, that they successively actupon a different portion of the treating surface. There being threehorizontal bars 12`illustrated, a brush section is provided for eachbar, that brush adjacent t-he inlet end of the machine terminating at apoint substantially in line with the inner end of the brush of the nextsucceeding bar 12, and this brush, in turn, terminating at a pointsubstantially inline with the inner end of the brush of the nextsucceeding bar, which latter brush projects to a point substantially inline with the rear end iveb 11. In other Words` the conveyor members orbrushes are spaced circumferentially Wit-hin the container so thatportions of the successive conveyor members or brushes are spacedlongitudinally from the preceding members.

ln the preferred embodiment of the in- `rention, as illustrated, the`supports at `og-V pesite ends ofthe brush carrying frames are slightlylaterallyolfset with 'respect to one another on the supports 12, wherebythe brushes extend at a slight inclination vor angle to the longitudinalaxisof said bars 12 and therefore to the longitudinal axis of thesurface of the container. `Though this feature of the invent-ion is'notV limited to the arrangement of brushes alluded to, it is found thatthis peculiar disposition of the l'iiushes has a tendency to assist inthe rapid and continuous flow of the material in'layer formation towardsthe outlet end of the container.

lt ivill be noted that the brushes are rtuidily detachable for cleansingpurposes,

it will also bev observedthat by tightening` i the nut 17. the conveyorsupports 14 Awhich are normally, resiliently, supported, may be rigidlysupported in position, and that this positionmay lbe readily adjusted byreason of the pin and slot connection 16A-13h A Asuitable valvecontrolled inlet 23 is provided, for steam or the like,'it beingunderstood that by adjustment of the valve the temperature of thetreating surface may be regulated at will. It is also to be borne inmind that material'other than steam may be introduced into thev chamber,`accardini;` to the desired treatment.

A suitable outlet from the chamber is provided at 24.

The outlet for the material, after treatment, is conveniently providedin any portion of the periphery of the container, but

Vpreferably adjacent the rear end thereof,

and arranged tangentially, Y as illustrated rihe operation may bereviewed as follows-zn n Assuming that milk is the substance to betreated, a supply of the same is conveniently maintained adjacent thecontainer, from which it floivs through the inlet conduit 21 into thecontainer. at a high rate of speed, which differs according' to thedesired treatment, but which siieed preferably approximates from 200 to500 revolutions per minute. lmmediately upon its delivery to thecontainer 1 thelmilk is caught up by one or more of the conveyor andcleansing brushes 15, and because of the 4high speed at which theconveyors are rotated, the mill; is applied in layer formation to theheated surface of the container, and a central quiet Zone' Within thelayer of material is always maintained. The layer er film of material'is substantially uniform throughout, and the central space Within thefilm is' substantially free from the material,

as distinguished from the operation of an apparatus wherein stirrers areemployed to treat the material in bull form, or ivherein the material isapplied to the surface and scraped therefrom to immediately-fall back tothe bottom of the container for subsequent treatment. rlhe flow of themilk being sul'istantially continuous, the application of the same tothe peripheryof the container continues. and throughl centrifuforce.there is built upon the heated surface, a layer ofthe material, whichmay vary from say one-eighth of an inch in thickness to several inchesin thickness.

The brushes being driven at a high speed. as previously stated. thematerial Will not n be allowed to settle in the container, but acontinuous movable layer of the material will be maintained 1ncontactwiththe surface.

f Yln the movement of the conveyor mechanism the brushes 15, acting),`under centrifugal force, Will be moved outwardly and maintained inactive contact with the interior surface of the container, with theresult that the interior surfacer Will, at kall times, remain smooth andcleansed of any adhering particles. f

It is also to be noted that the construction, arrangement, and movementof the brushes is such as to not obstruct or impede-materially thecontinuity of the `.layer of material over the surface 'of thecontainer, and the material will be moved not only circumferentially ofthecontainer but gradually lengthwise thereof towards the outlet endthereof. j

The gases or vapors escape from the inaterial into the interior quietcentral zone The shaft l is rotated ot the container, and lind exitthrough the openings 5 and 6' in the end Walls of the container.

I claim:

l. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination orn a stationarycylindrical container, means for heating the wall thereof, means forintroducing` material to be treated into the container, a rotatableconveyor mechanism positioned Within the container, said conveyormechanism having a brushing` surface extending longitudinally at anangle, and movable into Contact with the surface ot the container, andmeans ior rotating the conveyor mechanism at a high speed, vvhereby toimpart continuous and simu taneons circumferential and endivise movementto a layer of material in contact with tne heating Wall of thecontainer, While maintaining a central quiet zone `for the inward escapeof vapors troni said layer, and said container having a tree dischargeat its end for said vapors.

2. In an apparatus ot the character described, the combination orl asubstantially cylindrical container, means for applying to the Wallthereof a temperature different from that of the material to be treated,conveyor members arranged adjacent to the inner surface et thecontainer, and extending longitudinally thereof, spring supporting meansfor the conv yor members, permitting the latter to yield, andindependent means for rendering said yieldable action inactive.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of acylindrical wall, means for applying to said Wall a temperaturedil'ferent from that ot' the material to be treated, conveyor membersWithin the Wall extending longitudinally thereof, means for rigidlysupporting the conveyor members in position adjacent the inner surfaceof said wall, said means being releasable, and means tor yieldablysupporting the conveyor members upon the release of said means.

it. In an apparatus ol the character described, the combination of acylindrical n'all, means for applying to said Wall a temperatureditl'erent from that of the material to be treated, brushes Within thewall extending longitudinlly thereof, means for rigidly supporting thebrushes in position adjacent the inner surface ot said Wall, said meansbeing rcleasable, and means 'for yieldably supporting the brushes uponthe release of said means.

5. In an apparatus ot' the character dcscribed, Vthe combination of acylindrical container, means for applyingto the Wall thereof, atemperature dillerent from that ot the material to be treated, conveyormembers within the container extending longitudinally thereof,adjustable means for rigidly supporting the conveyor members in aposition in contact with or adjacent to the inner surface of said Wall,said means being releasable, and spring means acting to support saidconveyor members upon the release ot' saidmeans.

In testimony. whereof I hereunto atlix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

HOl/VARD S. MELLOTT.

'Vitnesses WAL l?. "WHITE, SAML. H. FANGHER.

